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A senior police officer says tribalism has no place in university campuses and students should resolve issues in a civilised manner. Northern region assistant Police commissioner Peter Guinness said everyone had expected the students from Southern Highlands and Enga attending the University of Technology to solve problems like intellectuals. “But that did not happen,” he said.

A new US$60 million resort has opened in Samoa, partly funded by the Papua New Guinea Lamana Group. Taumeasina Island Resort's General Manager, Nathan Bucknall, said 180 full time workers were on the payroll and it can accommodate 340 guests. "It's very unique for Samoa and I think unique for some parts of the South Pacific as well. We're an island that's five minutes away from the capital city of Samoa, Apia," said Mr Bucknall.

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, July 6, 2016) – The Fiji Police Force will not be making any further comments in regards to the murder of Russian nationals Mr Yuriy Shipulin and Ms Nataliya Gerasimova until investigations are complete.

Police Chief of Intelligence and Investigations ACP Luke Navela said this was due to the sensitive nature of ongoing investigations.

"On behalf of the Commissioner of Police I can assure everyone that all efforts are being put in to find whoever is responsible for this terrible act," he said.

"As we want to protect the integrity of the investigations we will not be making further comments until due course."

"Reiterating the Commissioner's comments, I want to urge members of the public not to speculate or spread unsubstantiated rumours about the case as it only serves to create unnecessary fear," ACP Navela said.

Basic food items like bread, sugar, salt among a range of other products will now cost you more. And with the minimum wage remaining the same, the increase in the cost of living has been branded as another kick in the gut for the poor in Samoa. Effective on Friday 1st July, the new Control Price Order covers beer and other sugar and salt related products. Other products affected by the excise tax of 8 percent include instant noodles, pastries, cakes, pancakes, pizza and while there is a 51sene increase on a litre of mineral water, other water products –flavoured or otherwise.

Food aid is arriving for more than 100,000 people in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea who have been enduring hunger for nearly a year due to El Nino-driven drought and frost. Care International, the World Food Program and provincial authorities are distributing much-needed rice to provinces whose crops were badly hit last August by the worst frost in 40 years and the prolonged drought that followed.

Governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres on Friday submitted to the House of Representatives a $9.2 million supplemental budget as he vowed to work with the federal government to ensure that the CNMI will have an adequate workforce so that its economic recovery will continue. “During the next three years, it is essential that our government focus its efforts toward mitigating areas and entities which may potentially hinder growth if alternative solutions are not in place,” Torres said in his transmittal message.

A new study has revealed French Polynesia is a potential gateway for viruses like Zika entering other parts of the world. The territory experienced a Zika epidemic between October 2013 and March 2014. The report in France's Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin said the reasons for the epidemic were not known but favourable conditions existed, including a lack of immunity to the virus and the presence of at least two species of mosquitoes which could be carriers.

The Cook Islands High Court was crowded with prominent figures as the much-anticipated Teinakore Bishop case began trial yesterday. The One Cook Islands movement leader once again entered a not guilty plea in his high-profile case before High Court Judge Justice Colin Doherty on a charge of corruption by a minister of the Crown. The court heard that between October 14, 2011 and July 10, 2013 Bishop and his business partner Thomas Koteka received a loan from Leun Thai subsidiary Century Finance.

The Rev. Jeffrey San Nicolas said the archdiocese is “studying the matter seriously,” referring to a libel and slander lawsuit filed Friday by four people who publicly accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually abusing altar boys in the 1970s. San Nicolas was appointed delegate of the administrator, assuming responsibilities similar to those of the vicar general and moderator of the Curia, on June 30, a day before the lawsuit was filed.

The 2016 academic year for the country’s premier university - the University of Papua New Guinea - has been terminated. Acting chancellor Nicholas Mann made the announcement to staff and students at the university forum square at the Waigani campus yesterday afternoon. The message was received in silence by a packed crowd of students and staff members.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.